The Apostle beginnetli this chapter with the commendation of his ministry, having been put upon it by their undervaluing of him ; yet so as together with himself he commeudeth them as his best and only testimonial and letters of commendation, ver. 2 ; and so maketh way for himself to fall into a more set and large commendation of the glorious gospel itself, whereof God ' hath made him so able a minister to them, ver. 6. And because the excellency of anything is best commended by comparing and setting by it something else that excels in itself, and yet is exceeded by it, therefore he carrieth along his commendation of the ministry of the gospel through the whole chapter, by comparing it with the law and the ministry of the Old Testament. This comparison is made by the apostle,
First, more briefly, in laying doicn some distinct inoperties and prerogatives of the gospel wherein it excelleth the law, ver. 6, as
(1.) That this was 'the ministry of the l^^eiv Testament;' that of the law of the Old.
(2.) And ' not of the letter,' as the law was ; * but of the Spirit.'
(3.) Nor of death, ' for the letter killeth ' ; but of life, for ' the Spirit quickeneth.'
And then, by inferences draim from these j^rojwrties thus briefly summed up, the apostle more largely illustrates the transcendent glory of the gospel, and how far it exceedeth the glory of the law ; although it be granted the law be glorious. As
[1.] If that which was but a ministration of the letter written and engraven in stone was glorious, verse the seventh ; that is, if the literal notions and bare knowledge of the law, which (like so many dead words or characters) maketh no alteration at all, but leaveth their hearts hard and stony, like the tables on which the law was written, which remained stones still ; if this was glorious, even the literal knowledge of the law : as it was, both in the Jews' own account of themselves and in the judgment of the nations amongst whom they hved : ' how shall not the ministration of the Spirit
204 EXCEI.LKNCY OF THE GOSPEL
be rather glorious ? verso the eighth ; the meaning whereof is largely ex- plained in the third verse ; where the Corinthians are said to be an ' epistle written not with ink ' (or dead letters), ' but with the Spirit of the living God' ; which kind of writing leaveth not the heart a heart of stone, as the dead writing of the law did, but changcth it into a ' heart of flesh,' and maketh such a thorough alteration in the whole man, as the writing within, * in the tables of their hearts,' is ' known and read of all men. So that their lives and conversations being answerable to that spiritual and gracious writing of Christ in their hearts, they are ' manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ.' And therefore such a ministry as this is, by which the Spirit of the living God is received (and not by the law. Gal. iii. 2), which is a Spirit of glory, and worketh glorious things both in the hearts and lives of men, must needs be ' rather glorious.'
[2.] Another inference we have in the ninth verse ; ' If the ministration of condemnation be glorious ; ' that is, if that word w'hich ' concluded men under sin,' Gal. iii. 22, and pronounced the sentence of death upon them, ' be glorious, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For it is more glorious to pardon than to condemn ; to give life, than to destroy. It is the glory of a man to pass over an offence, Prov. xix. 11., and in God it is called the 'riches of his glory,' Kom. ix. 23. ' The law, which was made glorious,' in terrifying, condemning, and stop- ing the mouths of men, insomuch as they had not a word to say for them- selves, 'hath no glory, by reason of the glory' of the gospel ' that excelleth,' even in this respect, that it bringeth such a righteousness, as by the merit whereof and satisfaction given bj'^ it, we are justified and have peace towards God, notwithstanding the utmost rigour of the law.
[3.] The apostle argueth further, ver. 11, 'If that which is done away was glorious,' as the old covenant is, which was made old by the coming of the new, Heb. viii. 8, and by it removed as a thing grown weak and shaken, Heb. xii. 27, ' much more that which remaineth,' which is the new cove- nant, which cannot be shaken, but shall remain, and is ' the everlasting gospel,' Rev. xiv. 6, ' is more glorious,' as God's last works exceed the former, and taketh away the remembrance of them in comparison. As when he createth ' new heavens and a new earth,' the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind, Isa. Ixv. 17.
[4.] There is another excellency of the gospel above the law, which the apostle addeth, and insisteth upon it more largely than upon all the rest, and that is, the comfortable plainness and j'ierspicnity of the doctrine and ministry of it: verse the 12th, ' Seeing we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech.' In which it excelled the ministry of Moses, which was in much difficulty and obscurity, and that in a threefold respect, laid down in the 13th, 14th, and 15th verses.